Southern Plains woodrat

The Southern Plains woodrat (Neotoma micropus) is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found in northwest Mexico and in Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas in the United States. The subspecies Neotoma micropus leucophaea: White Sands woodrat, is white in coloration and found only at White Sands National Park in New Mexico.^[1]

Southern Plains woodrat
Southern Plains Woodrat, Luna County
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Cricetidae
Subfamily:	Neotominae
Genus:	Neotoma
Species:	N. micropus
Binomial name
Neotoma micropus Baird, 1855

Habitat

N. micropus inhabits semi-arid brush-lands and rocky outcrops. It favors cactus, mesquite and thickets. Dens are constructed underneath shrubs and cacti, often prickly pears. They have a large central chamber that serve as the nest and side chambers around for storing food. The female of the species tends to use the same den throughout her adult life. Other organisms sometimes co-inhabit the dens with them, such as desert shrews and assassin bugs. The 'house' section is large and around 4-5' (1.2-1.5 m) high. It's composed of sticks, parts of cacti, thorns and other assorted debris.^[2]

Description

The Southern Plains woodrat is vegetarian, feeding on the leaves of prickly pears, agave, sotol; and the seeds, pods and nuts of mesquite trees. They are often preyed on by hawks, owls, foxes, raccoons, coyotes, bobcats and snakes. Western diamondback rattlesnakes are especially fond of them.^[2]

Reproduction

This woodrat bears litters of two to three. Gestation is around 30-39 days long. Northern populations breed in early spring, having one litter per year. Southern populations have a longer breeding season and more litters.^[2]

References

1. Linzey, A.V.; Timm, R.; Álvarez-Castañeda, S.T.; Castro-Arellano, I. & Lacher, T. (2008). "Neotoma micropus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008. Retrieved 5 February 2010.{{cite iucn}}: old-form url (help)
2. Whitaker, John O. (1996). National Audubon Society field guide to North American mammals. National Audubon Society (Rev. ed., 2nd ed., fully rev ed.). New York: Knopf : Distributed by Random House. pp. 618–619. ISBN 978-0-679-44631-6.

• Musser, G. G. and M. D. Carleton. 2005. Superfamily Muroidea. pp. 894–1531 in Mammal Species of the World a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. D. E. Wilson and D. M. Reeder eds. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.